Sunday Times Rich List Reveals UK's Richest Worth £519bn

Britain's wealthiest people are richer than ever before, with a combined fortune of £519 billion, equivalent to one-third of the UK's GDP.

The total wealth of Britain's 1,000 richest individuals, couples and families jumped by 15% in one year, according the Sunday Times Rich List, from last year's total of £449bn.

Wealth expert Philip Beresford, who compiled the list, said: "I've never seen such a phenomenal rise in personal wealth as the growth in the fortunes of Britain's 1,000 richest people over the past year.

"The richest people in Britain have had an astonishing year. While some may criticise them, many of these people are at the heart of the economy and their success brings more jobs and more wealth for the country."

The wealth of the top 1,000 has doubled since the aftermath of the economic crash in 2009, when it stood at £258bn.

The surge in their wealth means that the top 64 names on the list now have a combined fortune of £255bn, equivalent to the poorest 30% of the population.

Among the new entries are the creators of computer games.

Sam and Dan Houser, who created the controversial Grand Theft Auto game, are at 947 on the list with a joint wealth of £90 million.

Four of the creators of Candy Crush Saga have jumped on to the list, all with fortunes worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

The highest new entry is Carrie and Francois Perrodo and their family, who own the London-based Perenco oil and gas operation. As a family, they have a fortune of £6.14bn and come 14th on the rich list.

John Roberts, creator of AO.com, the household appliance internet retailer, is another new entry, with a fortune of £410m.

A minimum of £85m is now necessary to enter the list, up from £80m in the pre-credit crunch boom, and £75m last year.

Those on the list earn their place on the basis of "identifiable wealth", including land and property.